Marketing Honey. 239 



CHAPTER XVI. 

 MARKETING HONEY. 



No subject merits more attention by the apiarist than that 

 of marketing honey. There is no question put that the supply" 

 is going to continually increase ; hence, to sustain the price we 

 must stimulate the demand, and by doing this we shall not 

 only supply the people with a food element which is necessary 

 to health, but we shall also supersede in part the commercial 

 syrups, which are so adulterated as not only to be crowded 

 with filth the most revolting, but are often even teeming with 

 poison. (Report of Michigan Board of Health for 1874, pp. 

 75-79.) To bring, then, to our neighbor's table the pure, 

 wholesome, delicious nectar, right from the hive, is philan- 

 thropy, whether he realizes it or not. 



Nor is it difficult to stimulate the demand. I have given 

 special attention to this topic for the last few years, and am 

 free to say that not a tithe of the honey is consumed in our 

 country that might and should be. 



HOW TO INVIGORATE THE. MARKET. 



First. See that no honey goes to market from your apiary 

 t hat is not in the most inviting form possible . Grade all the 

 honey thoroughly, and expect prices to correspond with the 

 grade. See that every package and vessel is not only attract- 

 ive, but so arranged as not to make the dealer any trouble or 

 cause him any vexation. One leaky" can or crate may do great 

 injury. 



Second. See that every grocer in your vicinity has honey 

 constantly on hand. Do all you can to build up a home mar- 

 ket. The advice to sell to only one or two dealers is, I think, 

 wrong. Whether we are to buy or sell, we shall find almost 

 always that it will be most satisfactory to deal with men whom 

 we know, and who are close at hand. Only when you out- 

 grow your home market should you ship to distant places . 

 This course will limit the supply in large cities, and thus raise 

 the prices in the great marts, whose prices fix those in the 

 country. Be sure to keep honey constantly in the markets. 



